Tour du Rwanda 2016 cycling event recap

Kigali: The 8th edition of Tour du Rwanda kicked off on November, 13 2016 with 17 teams that competed Until November 20 when Valens Ndayisenga, currently riding for South Africa’s team Dimension Data claimed the second overall stage race victory of his career.

Team Rwanda, alongside Benediction Club and Les Amis Sportifs were flying the flag for Rwanda. As well as South Africa’s team Dimension Data, Tirol Cycling Team, Cycling Academy of Israel, Lowestrates.Com from Canada, Germany-based Stradalli Bike Aid and Sharjah Cycling Team, Team South Africa, Team Eritrea and Team Algeria were among the national squads that took part in this year’s race .

On day one , Timothy Rugg kicked off his first race in Africa in style, giving Lowest Rates its first professional victory by winning the prologue of this year’s Tour du Rwanda. Rugg became the third rider from North America to win the prologue after Kiel Reijnen (USA) and Rémi Roy Pelletier (Canada) did in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

The second day was the stage one which was Kigali - Ngoma (96.4km) and Boivin Guillaume (cycling Academy Team) claimed the victory

Timothy Rugg who had never won a race since the beginning of his career continued the success at Tour du Rwanda by winning stage 3 (115.9km race from Karongi ahead Rusizi) also known as Kivu-Belt one of the two new routes that have been added to this year’s Tour du Rwanda to claim his second victory in four days after winning the prologue. Areruya Joseph (Les Amis Sportifs) was second while Eyob Metkel (Dimension Data for Qhubeka) finished third.

The next day was the fourth stage a 140.7km, the longest stage of the race and one of the two new routes (Rusizi – Huye), Areruya Joseph, The 2015 tour du Rwanda runner-up won the sprint ahead of his compatriot Biziyaremye Joseph (Team Rwanda) and Gebreigzabhier Amanuel (Dimension Data for Qhubeka).

EYOB Metkel who was riding for Team Dimension Data for Qhubeka won the fifth stage of the Tour du Rwanda in Musanze town on Friday to put pressure on teammate and yellow jersey holder, Valens Ndayisenga who finished 46 seconds behind but kept the overall race lead.

Valens Ndayisenga - 2016 cycling Winner

The Rwandan cyclist Valens Ndayisenga was born in 1994 in Rwamagana. Ndayisenga rides for the Dimension Data for Qhubeka team. He was the 2014 and 2016 tour du Rwanda winner (National Road Race champion of Rwanda)

On November 15th, he won stage 2 (Kigali-Karongi), a distance of 124,7Km, in three hours, sixteen minutes and fourty six micro-seconds (3h16’46”) and claimed the yellow jersey after a late attack which allowed him take victory without waiting for the sprint finish.

He also won the penultimate stage of the race (Musanze-Kigali) with a well-timed and powerful attack on the final climb. He went into the stage with a 42 seconds lead over his teammate Eyob Metkel, maintained his position at the top of the overall classification.

After winning the penultimate stage he later finished third in the final stage Kigali-Kigali (108km) behind stage winner Tesfom Okubamariam (Eritrea) and claimed the second overall stage race victory of his career by winning the Tour du Rwanda on the final day and was the first Rwandan to win the race since it was sanctioned by UCI in 2009.

Overall, Ndayisenga used 21hours 15 minutes and 21 seconds while Metkel used 21h16’00’’ and Okubamariam, who claimed third place, used 21h16’51’’.